Page 94 of Unleashed

I hate that Maren’s trailer was burglarized. Fully intend to do everything in my power to punish everyone responsible for stealing the home she created for Zara. But in this moment—just for the tiniest second—I’m grateful it happened. That it forced my hand. Made Maren take a step she likely wouldn’t have otherwise.

Because having Maren and Zara here is everything I could have ever wanted, and all I never believed I would have.

Maren pops the first meal into the microwave above my oven and frowns at the digital panel. “What sort of spaceship bullshit is this?”

I move in close, punching in a few numbers before setting it to run.

“That thing is ridiculous, you know that, right?” She looks down at the oven. “Holy crap. That one’s worse.”

I make a mental note to replace them. I won’t tell Maren I’m doing it. She’ll question the reasons, and I’m not quite prepared for the fallout of telling her I’m going to do everything I can to keep her from moving out when this whole mess is cleared up.

Actually, I plan to do everything in my power to get her to stay indefinitely.

Because I think Maren might actually get me. Understand why I’m so committed to McKinley Security Systems. Why I will always stay as late as I have to in order to make sure everything is as it should be.

Not that I stayed late tonight. Leaving at five o’clock was strange as hell, but couldn’t be avoided. I wanted to be there when Maren picked Zara up, just in case someone was waiting to take advantage of the situation. Quinn also needed to be collected from the airport, so it only made sense to tackle both tasks at the same time. Plus, I need to be here while Zara and Quinn get to know each other. Because if it’s not going to work, someone needs to drive his ass back to the airport.

Leaving at five was really the only option I had.

Working together, Maren and I heat up one of my mother’s prepared meals for each of us, lining them down the surface of my never-before-used dining room table before calling Quinn and Zara in to eat.

I watch as Quinn carefully offers support as the five-year-old gets up and makes her way through the house. She chatters the whole way, telling him about her friends at school, how much she enjoys dance class, and the petting zoo I bought.

That last one has him raising his eyebrows at me.

I just shrug. There’s no rational way to explain buying an entire petting zoo simply because you want a kid to be able to enjoy it in its entirety. But no one has ever accused me of being a rational sort of guy.

No, I’m the sort of guy who sets up hidden security cameras. The kind who sits outside an employee’s house under the guise of responsibility. The man who refits his kitchen appliances so they’ll be more user-friendly to the woman he hasn’t told is now a permanent resident.

I guess it’s good Maren thinks there’s something wrong with her for liking me staking out her house, because there sure as hell is a lot wrong with me.

We all sit down and dig into our meals. It’s not a traditional sort of dinner. No fancy serving dishes or expensive china being used. We’re eating out of plastic meal prep containers, and wiping our faces on paper towels.

It’s fucking perfect.

Right up until my phone starts to ring.

My eyes immediately go to Maren, expecting frustration. Annoyance. Maybe even disappointment.

Instead she sits up straighter, eyes locked on the cell in my hand. “You should probably answer that.” Her gaze snaps to my face, eyes widening as she slowly says, “It could be important.” She continues staring at me, brows lifting when I don’t immediately connect the call.

I can’t tell if she’s daring me to answer the phone, or legitimately wants me to do it, but I don’t have a choice. When Heidi calls, I answer.

I swipe my thumb across the screen and lift it to my ear. “Hi, Heidi.”

Maren jumps up from her seat, grabbing me by the arm. She gives Zara an overly bright smile. “We’ll be right back. Are you okay here with Mr. Quinn?”

Zara nods. “I’m fine.”

The second she has Zara’s confirmation, Maren drags me out of the room and down the hall into my office. Shoving me through the doorway, she closes the French doors behind us.

“Did she find something?” Maren’s earlier behavior surrounding the call makes a little more sense as she steps close, eager for information. “Was the camera still in use?”

I tap on the speaker of my phone so Maren can be an active participant in the conversation, then ask Heidi, “Did you hear that?”

“Yup.” Alaskan Security’s extroverted hacking authority sounds as bubbly as ever as she offers up answers. “They did shut it off shortly after Titus began running diagnostics, but they weren’t fast enough, so I have quite a bit to work with.”

I can hear the air rush from Maren’s lungs as relief washes over her expression. “Do you know who put it there?”